Railroad tie



"June 9, 1925. 1,541,688

. G. B. COX

RAILROAD TIE Filed Jan. 16, 1925 lNvl-:NTOR Georye. Cox

ATTORNEYS Patented June 9, 1925. i

UNITED STATES GEORGE B. COX, OF WRAY, COLORADO.

RAILROAD TIE.

Application led January 16, 1925. Serial No. 2,912.

To @ZZ tti/10m t 11m-y concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. COX, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of I/Vray, in the county of Yuma and State of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved Railroad Tie, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. Y

This invention has relation to railroad ties and has particular reference to metal ties, the same being in the nature of an improvement upon my copending application Serial No. 732,456 filed August 16, 1924.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to generally improve and simplify the structure of the tie set forth in my copending application for reducing to an absolute minimum the number of parts composing the same and this withoutin any way detracting from the general efciency or strength of the tie.

The present invention broadly comprehendsv a rail tie consisting of a pair of interiitting sections which function to support and securely clamp the rails in properly spaced relation, thereby eliminating the time and labor required for the spiking operation as well as the dangers incident to the possibility of accidental displacement of the spikes and facilitating the removal and replacement of the ties.

With the above recited and other objects in View, the invention resides in the novel construction set forth in the Jfollowing specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying d rawings7 it beingI understood that the right is reserved to embodiments other than those actually illustrated herein. to the full extent indicated by the general meaning ofthe terms in which the claims are expressed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view (through a tie constructed in accordance with the invention, said section being taken approximately on a line indicated at A-'A in Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line indicated at 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the tie.

Fig. 4 is a collective perspective view of the tie elements or sections disassociated from each other.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference the tie comprises a pair of 'substantially identical sections A and B which are preferably formed of sheet metal, rolled or otherwise constructed. The sections each consist of a substantially channelshaped member or of inverted U-shape in cross section providing an upper horizontal wall 10 and parallel depending side walls 11 at the lower free end of which laterally projecting horizontal flanges 12 are provided the outer end portions 13 of which flanges are of greater width than the remaining portion to provide a greater footing or bearing surface immediately below the point at which the weight of the rolling stock is received. The upper horizontal wall 10 of the section A is of slightly greater width than the corresponding wall of section B and the side walls 11 of the section A are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the distance `between the walls 11 of section B whereby the section A may telescopically receive the section B. At the inner end, each section is recessed or cut away as 'at 14 to conform in shape to at least one side of a. standard rail illustrated at R. In other words, the inner ends of the sections are so shaped as to provide relatively low upstanding webs 15 upon which the rail base bears and further, this shaping of the inner ends of the sections provides rail engaging web tongues 16. Adjacent the outer end of each section, recessed portions 17 are provided which produce relatively low upstanding webs 18 `having overhanging inwardly projecting web engaging tongues 19 at the outer end of the recessed portion. Under this construction when the sections are mated or telescopically engaged, the recessed portions together with the overhanging web engaging tongues 16 and 19 constitute a rail supj porting and clamping means. In order to provide means for positively retaining the sections A and B in clamping relation te the rails, the medial portie-ns of the depending side walls 11 are provided with longitudinal slots 20 which are disposed in substantial alinement when the sections are in clamping relation to the rails and through which a wedge key 21 is driven.

In initially laying a track, the sections are shifted relatively outward or laterally away from each other so that the overhanging web engaging tongues 16 are retracted Wholly within the channel member of the me l oppositev section toA leave the. recesses l? open or clear for the reception oi the rails R. Theouter side portion ot each rail base tlange is engaged beneath the overhangingA web engaging tongue 19 and rests upon the upper edge of the low upstanding webs 18;Y The sections are then relatively shitted inwardly toward each other so that the tongues 16 IarerL projected ,from theopposite channel member to overlie theinnersides of the base flanges of the rails and abut with the rail webs;l at `their inner side surfaces.l The wedge key 2l is then driven in place through the slots 2O and the attachment ot the rails tot the .-,tiesiis completed. ltwill thus be noted thatithe railsvare supported upon the upper edges otithe; lowweb port-ions 15 and-'18V whileV the same are properly spaced apart, clamped and .locked-in position. lVhen for any reason it is desired to remove or replace.

a tiefthe` wedgekey is removed; and thesectionsA ande-Blareshifted relatively outward :at the same time lowering the tie by removing a portion ot the readbed or ballast to allowior the lowering movement. Then the vupper walllt) of theA section'` A is dis.- posedin a I.plane vbelow the lower base flanges of the rails itl isobvious that the sections U-shaped 'sections each of :said sections having a recessed inner end and complementary recessed portions adjacent its outer end adapted' to respectively coact with each other upon inward relative shitting movement to embracingly clamp about the rail base tlanges and capable ot' relative shitting movement in an outward direction to disengage and release the rails and means extending through the medial-portion .of saichsections tor Yretaining Vthe same against relative outward shitting movement, saidrlatter means comprising complementary slotted portions in said sections and a wedge key insertable therethrough. i

3. A rail tie comprising` a pairot telescoping sections ot' inverted substantially U-shape in cross section, each otsaid 'sections having `a recessed portion adjacent its outeiaend may be respectively` separatedlaterally tocompletely remove the tie.

From-l` the foregoing itiwill thus be seen.-

that .a rail .tiefhas been provided lwhichA eliminatesthe. necessity ot the useof spikes and which eliioiently functions lto` support, prop-` erlyspaceand clamp the rails when in appliedposition.

I claim:

1.! `Arail .tiecomprising a paircl telescopio-ally associated(,inrertcd snl'istantially- U-,shaped sections7 each tots-aid sections havpresentingupstanding rail supporting edges and an overhanging inwardly disposed` tongue, each of'said sections having at its inner end a complementary recessed portion presenting -upstanding rail supporting edges andanv outwardly projecting rail clamping Y tions` each section having an upper horizoninge recessed inner endandr coniiplementaiiy recessed, lport-ions ad] acent Yits outer Vend adapted ,to respectively coaet with eachother uponninward Yrelative shitting movement to embracingly .clamp about the railbase flanges and. capable`v oirelative shitting; movement in an.outward directionto disengageand release theel,v rails and means extending through the-medial portion ot said sections for,:retainingzthe saine Iagainst relative outs ward lshifting movement 2; A. railitie comprisingv a pair. ofx telef scopically associa-ted; inverted t substantially tal wall7 depending side walls' vand outwardly turned horizontal 4flangesat the lower ends ot the-side wall, complementary*recessed portions at the vinner ends ot each section and adjacent the outer end otfeach section providing rail base embraoingand clamping means adapted upon relative inward shittingmovement ol'gv the sections totclamp the base flangesl ot'ytheira-itl andvfadapted upon relative outward `shitting n'iovement rto release the same7 and means 'for retainingsaid sections in inwardly shifted` clamping relation.

GEORGE B'. COX, 

